1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to watercraft safety devices, specifically to crew overboard recovery devices which are used to assist reentry of a crew overboard into a watercraft.
2. Background of the Invention
A serious hazard associated with sailing is that of falling overboard while the boat is under way. Any person who has fallen overboard is referred to as a “crew over board.” Situations which are particularly hazardous include working on deck in heavy seas, being hit unexpectedly by a large wake, being hit by the boom, broaching, or being washed overboard by breaking waves in especially stormy weather.
One element of a successful crew overboard rescue is retrieval once the crew overboard has been found. U.S. Pat. No. 6,093,070 to Mannes describes a crane attached to a ship for the lifting of individuals from the water. Unfortunately, the device described in this patent is much too large to be practical on most recreational sailboats. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,074, Beckly discloses a more compact boom for crew overboard retrieval. Yet another device employing a detachable boom and sling is described by McDonald in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,056. A more compact hoisting system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,779,511 by Davidson. This system comprises a triangular harness which utilizes two points of attachment to a sailboat and one to a halyard. The harness is placed under the crew overboard and the halyard is hoisted to raise the crew overboard to the level of the deck. A sling with an attachable inflatable buoy and keel is described by Hindle in U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,797. The sling is used as both a flotation aid and device to assist retrieval. Means of hoisting the crew overboard in the sling are not addressed. Yet another example of a crew overboard retrieval device is disclosed by Fryer et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,073. This retrieval device integrates buoyant material into a lifting sling which is tethered to the boat by a long floating line. A block and tackle attached between the sling and the boom of a sailboat can be used to hoist the crew overboard to a level where he can be swung into the boat. The devices cited above have at least one commonality. They all require at least one person onboard the boat to assist in retrieval of the crew overboard. It is not uncommon for individuals to sail alone without a crew. In such instances, the devices cited above are useless to the single handed sailor in a crew overboard situation.
The single handed sailor will often employ a tether attached on one end to a harness worn by the sailor and attached on the other end to a strong point on the boat such as a pad eye. The tether will prevent a sailor from being separated from the boat in the event that he should go overboard. However, a tether will not prevent an individual from going overboard. A tether which is short enough to do so does not provide freedom of movement sufficient to accomplish the tasks necessary to sail the boat. If a tethered single handed sailor does go overboard, he must then reenter the boat without assistance from others. Given the height of the gunwale above the water, this is at best a difficult task. The crew overboard must first find a way to reach above the gunwale to grasp a cleat, stanchion, or other fixture. He must then pull himself up to the point where he can hook his leg over the gunwale. Then he must use both arms and legs to pull himself inside the boat. In addition, these maneuvers must be performed while the boat is under way and the crew overboard is being dragged through the water. Needless to say, better than average strength and fitness are required to reenter the boat unassisted.
An example of a commercially available device marketed to the single handed sailor for crew overboard use is a boarding ladder. These are flexible, stowable ladders and require attachment at the level of the gunwale or above. The utility of these devices to the single handed crew overboard is limited since it is unlikely that the crew overboard will be able to reach the level of the gunwale to attach a ladder or that ladders attached to the boat prior to going overboard will be sited appropriately.
Trailing line devices are yet another means of assistance targeted at the crew overboard. The simplest manifestation of such a device is a long floating line trailed behind the boat. In theory, the crew overboard swims to the line and then uses it to pull himself to the swim ladder on the back of the boat. To reach the trailing line, the crew overboard must cut his tether, thus separating himself from the boat. In practice, at all but the slowest speeds, the drag on the crew overboard is so great that he will not be able to pull himself up the trailing line. Other examples of trailing line crew overboard assistance are disclosed by Searls in U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,556 and by Brown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,238. The system described by Searls employs a trailing line to deploy a life ring and crew overboard pole. Recovery of the crew overboard is not addressed. Brown describes a system which uses a sea anchor and pulley to retract the trailing line and hoist the crew overboard to the level of the gunwale. While overcoming many of the deficiencies of other crew overboard recovery systems, the system described by Brown appears to be complex with the attendant disadvantages of high cost and questionable reliability.
From the foregoing discussion, clearly, there is a need for a crew overboard retrieval system which allows the single handed crew overboard to reenter the boat under his own power.